Toxic Cloud Forces 160,000 Spaniards to Stay Inside after Fire

A picture taken on May 10, 2025 shows smoke billowing from a building storing pool cleaning products, in the coastal city of Vilanova i la Geltru, south of Barcelona. (AFP)
A picture taken on May 10, 2025 shows smoke billowing from a building storing pool cleaning products, in the coastal city of Vilanova i la Geltru, south of Barcelona. (AFP)
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Toxic Cloud Forces 160,000 Spaniards to Stay Inside after Fire

A picture taken on May 10, 2025 shows smoke billowing from a building storing pool cleaning products, in the coastal city of Vilanova i la Geltru, south of Barcelona. (AFP)
A picture taken on May 10, 2025 shows smoke billowing from a building storing pool cleaning products, in the coastal city of Vilanova i la Geltru, south of Barcelona. (AFP)

Around 160,000 people in Spain's northeastern Catalonia region were warned to stay inside on Saturday after a fire at an industrial estate caused a toxic cloud of chlorine over a wide area, emergency services said.

The blaze at a swimming pool cleaning products company started at 2.20 a.m. (0020 GMT) in Vilanova i la Geltru, a town 48 kilometers (30 miles) south of Barcelona and caused a huge plume of chlorine smoke over the area.

"If you are in the zone that is affected do not leave your home or your place of work," the Civil Protection service said on social media site X.

No one has been hurt in the fire, Catalan emergency services said on Saturday, but residents in five towns were sent a message on their mobile phones telling them to remain inside.

"It is very difficult for chlorine to catch fire but when it does so it is very hard to put it out," the owner of the industrial property, Jorge Vinuales Alonso, told local radio station Rac1.

He said the cause of the fire might have been a lithium battery.

Trains which were due to pass through the area were held up, roads were blocked and other events were cancelled.

The fire was under control, Civil Protection spokesperson Joan Ramon Cabello told the TVE television channel.



‘The Destination’ Documentary Explores Recent Developments Across Saudi Arabia

The film's title, “The Destination,” embodies the concept of looking to the future and advancing the achievement of goals. SPA
The film's title, “The Destination,” embodies the concept of looking to the future and advancing the achievement of goals. SPA
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‘The Destination’ Documentary Explores Recent Developments Across Saudi Arabia

The film's title, “The Destination,” embodies the concept of looking to the future and advancing the achievement of goals. SPA
The film's title, “The Destination,” embodies the concept of looking to the future and advancing the achievement of goals. SPA

The Saudi Ministry of Media’s Konoz initiative has launched “The Destination” documentary film exploring recent developments across Saudi Arabia’s political, economic, medical, sports, cultural, media, and artistic fields while highlighting progress toward Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s transformation into a global destination.

The film's title, “The Destination,” embodies the concept of looking to the future and advancing the achievement of goals, reflecting the Kingdom’s transformational path toward realizing its ambitious plans.

The Kingdom has now become a destination the world aspires to, owing to the mega projects it is implementing across various fields, with their impact already being felt worldwide.

The start of the film’s production was announced on the sidelines of the Impact Makers Forum (ImpaQ). The initiative also includes several other films and documentaries being produced by the Konoz initiative in cooperation with nine national companies, involving 80 specialized firms and more than 2,600 talented individuals across various fields.

This effort demonstrates the Ministry of Media’s commitment to supporting local production and promoting national content.

The Konoz initiative is part of the Human Capability Development Program under Saudi Vision 2030. It aims to document Saudi Arabia's cultural richness and civilizational contributions, while also highlighting the success stories of Saudi citizens at all levels through the production of documentaries, short films, and animated features.